Flame or baffle bridge for water-tube boilers.



A. P. GERALD.

FLAME 0R BAFELE BRIDGE FOR WATER TUBE BOILERS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 16,1909.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

.rgb

Wl T HE SSE 8:

TTUHNEYS THE Hamers PETERS cu.. wAsHmsroN. n, c

AUGUST P. GERALD, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

FLAME 0R BAFFLE BRIDGE FOB. WATER-TUBE BOILERS.

Specicaton of Letters latent.

Patented Nev. 15, 1910.

Application filed December 16, 1909. Serial No. 533,334.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST P. GERALD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Flame or Batlle Bridge for Water-Tube Boilers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In many forms of water tube boilers, it is customary to provide a flame or batlie bridge extending transversely of the tubes in the form of a partition, so that the flame or gases of combustion will be compelled to travel between the tubes in one direction to the edge of the baffle or bridge, and thence back between the tubes upon the opposite side of said battle or bridge. All of the tubes are thus brought into intimate contact with the gases a plurality of times, so that the latter are heated to the maximum extent. Baffie bridges of this character are commonly formed of specially designed tiles itting between the pipes and supported in proper alinement by a cast metal backing. The backing often becomes warped and distorted, or becomes burned away, so that the gases may pass directly through the batlie bridge without beingcompelled to travel around the edge. When this occurs, the pipes are not properly heated by the gases, and a great waste of fuel results.

Among the important features of my invention are to provide more `efficient means for supporting the tiles to form a substantially gas-tight joint around each water tube, which will not loosen by expansion and contraction; to readily support the side edges of the bafiie bridge, and to provide specially constructed tiles for the upper and lower edges of the baille bridge.

The invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts pointed out in the claims, and one embodiment of which is hereinafter described in detail. l

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures, and in which-V Figure 1 is a transverse section through a portion of a boiler showing my improved battle bridge, portions of said batilebridge being broken away to show the Vseveral layers of which it is formed, and Fig. 2 is a substantially horizontal section on the line 2--2 of Fig.V 1.

may vary in form, dependent upon the character of the boiler and the size and arrangement of the water tubes. The tiles shown are substantially diamond-shaped in vertical section, and each of the four angles or edges of each tile are cut away, so that the tile may fit in between four adjacent water tubes. When all of the tiles are in position, the edges of each tile will engage with the edges of four adjacent tubes and form a comparatively tight partition. Along the upper and lower edges of the baflie, I provide specially designed tiles or tire-brick 11, each of which has three of its edges corresponding to the three edges of the tile 10, but which has a triangular extension 12. 1lWhen the upper and the lower courses of the tiles are formed of the tiles 11, the triangular extensions 12 present a substantially straight upper edge. If the upper course were formed of the tiles 10, it is evident that the upper edge of the series of tiles would be rectangular or zigzag, by reason of the substantially diamond formation of said tiles 10.

In engagement with one surface of the series'of tiles, I provide a layer of tire-proof plates 13, preferably formed of asbestos. Each plate extends diagonally between two rows or tiers of water tubes, and at its edges it is provided with a series of semi-circular recesses or notches cut to receive and closely fit the sides of the water tubes. As each fire-proof plate. except those at the edges, extends the entire distance from the lower edge to the upper edge of the baille, it is evident that the plates cover all of the meeting edges between the tiles which extend at an angle to the direction of the plates. These fire-proof plates being of asbestos, may be extended through between the tubes and then rotated to bring them into proper position, so as to closely fit the tubes. rlhe asbestos being somewhat resilient, will permit of an expansion and contraction of the tubes of the boiler, but will continue to maintain a close engagement with the tube. Upon the layer of asbestos ,plates 13, I place a series of metal plates 14. These plates are of the general form as the asbestos plates, but the recesses in the sides are some.. what larger, so that the metalplates do not closely engage with the walls of the water tubes. This permits the free expansion and contraction of the tubes without any liability of injury. to the latter, and also permits the metal plates to be more readily placed in position.

Upon the surface of the metal plates 14, I provide a series of asbestos plates 15, similar to the asbestos plates 13, but preferably extending at the opposite angle, that is, in Fig. 1, it will be noted that the asbestos plates extend upwardly and toward the leftfhand edge, whereas the plates 15 extend upwardly and toward the right-hand edge, so that the plates 15 cover all of the joints between the plates 14. Upon the surface of the plates 15, I provide a series of plates 16, corresponding in all particulars to the plates 13 and breaking joints with the plates 15. Upon the side of the baille opposite to the tiles 10, I provide a series of plates 17, similar to the metal plates 14 except that their outer surfaces are provided with reinforcing ridges or flanges 18 extending longitudinally and transversely thereof. These plates 17 are spaced from the water tubes, so that the latter may freely expand and contract under temperature changes. The two series of plates 15 and 16 of heat-resisting matcrial are held between the two series of metal' plates 14 and 17. For holding all of the plates together, I provide a series of openings or apertures 19 through all of the plates adjacent their upper and lower edges, and through which any suitable form of bolts or other securing members, as shown, may be secured. The metal plates give the necessary rigidity to the structure and hold the asbestos plates in position. The asbestos plates fit around the water tubes, so as to effectively prevent the passage of gases or flame along the exterior of the tube from one side of the partition or baiiie to the other. The flame and gases play directly upon the tiles 10, and these tiles are spaced from the metal plates 14 by the asbestos 13, so that the plates 14 cannot become unevenly or excessively heated to warp or distort the same. The different series of plates being arranged at different angles, all of the joints between the plates of one series, are covered by the plates of another series, so that there are no direct passages through the baffle. The outer metal plates 17 are on the rear or back of the baille, and thus are not so directly affected by the ame. The ridges or reinforcing flanges serve to prevent the distorting or warping of the plates, even should said plates become unevenly or heated.

At the edges of the baffle, I provide the side walls B of the boiler with grooves or channels 2O of a width substantially equal to the thickness of said baffle. JAfter the baffle has been placed in position, Iinsert a excessively Y erases form or temporary wall against each surv face of the baffle adjacent the side wall B, and fill the groove or channel 20 with a self-hardening bonding material 21. This material may be formed of any suitable fireproof cement or cementitious body, but preferably includes cinders and Portland cement as ingredients. This bonding material not only fills the groove or channel butextends out. from the side of th-e boiler, so as to lill the substantially triangular spaces left between the side tier of tiles 10. The bonding material thus not only secures the baffle in place and holds it against lateral movement, but also seals the side edges of the balile and prevents any iame or gases from escaping without traveling through the desired passage. It is, of course, evident that the upper or lower edge of the baflie may be sealed and secured in the same manner as 'the side edges.

l-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination with the water tubes of a water-tube boiler, of a flame bridge made up of a plurality of layers, one of said layers including tiles disposed between the tubes, another of said layers including a series of strips of heat-resisting material, and another of said layers comprising a plural* ity of metal plates.

2. The combination with the water tubes of a water-tube boiler, of a flame bridge made up of a plurality of superimposed layers, one of said layers including a series of strips of heat-resisting material extending between the tubes in one direction, and another of said layers comprising a series of strips of heat-resisting material extending between said tubes at an angle to the first-mentioned strips and in a plane parallel thereto.

3. The combination with the water tubes of a water-tube boiler, of a flame bridge made up of a plurality of superimposed layers, one of said layers including a series ofy strips of heat-resisting material extending between the tubes in one direction, and anothei` of said layers comprising a series of strips of heat-resisting material extending between said tubes at an angle to the firstmentioned strips and in a plane parallel thereto, and a series of metal plates in engagement with one of said layers of strips.

4. The combinationxwith the water tubes of a water-tube boiler, of a flame bridge made up of a plurality of superimposed layers, one of said layers including a series ofA strips of heat-resisting material extending between the tubes in one direction and another of said layers comprising a series of strips of heat-resisting material extending between said tubes at an angle to the firstmentioned strips and in a plane parallel thereto, and a series of tiles in engagement with one of said layers of strips.

5. The combination with the water tubes of a water-tube boiler, of a ame bridge made up of a plurality ot' superimposed layers, one of said layers including a series of strips of heat-resisting material extending between the tubes in one direction and another of said layers comprising a series of strips of heat-resisting material extending between said tubes at an angle to the firstmentioned strips and in a plane parallel thereto, a series of metal plates in engagement with one of said layers of strips, and a series of tiles in engagement with one of said layers of strips.

6. The combination with the water tubes of a water-tube boiler, of a Hame bridge made up of a plurality of superimposed layers, one of said layers including` a series of strips of heat-resisting material extending between the tubes in one direction and another of said layers comprising a series of strips of heat-resisting material extending between said tubes at an angle to the first-mentioned strips and in a plane parallel thereto, and a series of metal plates in engagement with one of said series of strips, said metal plates being spaced from said tubes and said strips of heat-resisting material being in close engagement with said tubes.

7. The combination with the water tubes of a water-tube boiler, ot a flame bridge comprising a plurality of strips of asbestos extending in the same plane and between said tubes and in engagement therewith, and two series of metal plates upon opposite sides of said strips of asbestos and secured together and spaced from said tubes.

8. The combination with the water tubes of a water-tube boiler, of a ame bridge comprising a plurality of strips of asbestos extending in the same plane and between said tubes and in engagement therewith, two series of metal plates upon opposite sides of said strips of asbestos and secured together and spaced trom said tubes, and a series of tiles upon the side of the bridge toward the flame.

9. The combination with the tubes of a water tube boiler, ot a flame bridge formed of a series of tiles disposed between the tubes and constituting a wall at an angle to the direction of the tubes, a layer of heat-resisting material in the form of strips adjacent one surface vot the tiles and a series of metal plates adjacent the outer surface of said heat-resisting material.

l0. The combination with the tubes 0f a water tube boiler, ot a iame bridge made up ot a plurality of layers, one of said layers including tiles, another of said layers comprising a plurality of metal plates arranged substantially in the same plane, and another of said layers including heat-resisting material between said plates and said tiles and closely tting the tubes.

1l. The combination with the tubes of a water tube boiler, of a flame bridge comprising a plurality ot layers, one ot said layers comprising metal plates, another of said layers comprising heat-resisting material closely fitting the tubes, and another of said layers comprising a series of tiles arranged between the tubes and in substantially the same plane.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST P. GERALD. ldlitnesses CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS. 

